Aquatic Birds

One reason I visited the wildlife rehab center was that I had heard there were hundreds of black-bellied whistling ducks wintering there. This was my first look at them as I approached the wetlands on the center's property. Rounded a corner & heads were popping up everywhere. The backstory in Kathy's words: "For many years, the several hundred Black Bellied Whistling Ducks that we have raised and released invite their friends to come and stay the winter. This starts in early December and goes until the end of March with the numbers growing each day. Currently there are well over 1000." I found the experience completely overwhelming both visually and auditorily.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center